Zverev, Gerry Weber Open Present Donation To Hospital

Halle, Germany

Mischa Zverev presented a €10,000 donation to the Bethel children’s hospital in Bielefeld, Germany, on behalf of the Gerry Weber Open, an ATP World Tour 250 grass-court tournament in Halle. The donation will be used for the creation of a modern therapy room for young cancer patients at Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen, to be named after Zverev.

Chief physician, Professor Dr. Johannes Otte, said that the establishment of such a room would add “considerably to the healing process of children suffering from cancer”, calling it “a bridge to the outside world for our little patients”.

Zverev continued the precedent of fellow German players, Alexander Waske and Michael Kohlmann, who have visited the clinic in past years and sponsor similar therapy rooms.

“I think it’s nice that now a room carries my name as well,” said the Hamburg native, who signed autographs and took photos with the children at the hospital.

Since its inaugural tournament in 1993, the Gerry Weber Open has donated to several charity programs, with beneficiaries including children’s hospitals, special schools and facilities for disabled persons.

Gerry Weber Open representative Charlotte Weber-Dresselhaus, who joined Zverev on the visit, stated: “We are happy to also fulfill our social responsibilities with this lasting and strong partnership with the von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen.”